Protecting Grapes from Botrytis: How to Ensure Perfect Fruit for Export Standards

‘’Sustainable disease management is no longer optional — it’s a necessity for long-term agricultural success. . 

With Aplerme, growers can rely on a biological solution that helps control of Botrytis, powdery mildew and soil-borne diseases while maintaining environmental balance and crop safety and providing more opportunity for exporters to manage MRL’s’’

Mahmoud El Badawy / Product Biologist ME

Gray Mold (Botrytis) is the most significant challenge for Egyptian grape growers under current climatic shifts. Since export success hinges on healthy, residue-free fruit, Syngenta Egypt’s technical experts have outlined the latest protocols for professional disease management.

Why is Botrytis Difficult to Control?

Botrytis cinerea is a strategic and opportunistic pathogen:

• Latent Infection: It infiltrates during flowering and remains dormant inside the berry, activating only as sugar levels rise close to harvest.
• Wound Invasion: It rarely penetrates healthy skin; instead, it exploits breaches caused by Powdery Mildew or mechanical wounds from handling and harvesting.

• Shipping Crisis: Devastating outbreaks often occur inside refrigerated containers due to high humidity, risking total rejection of export shipments.

  

Aplerme: Syngenta’s Integrated Biological Solution

Aplerme represents the next generation of biological solutions, ensuring maximum protection with minimal residues (MRLs) through a triple mode of action:

• Complete Colonization: Beneficial bacteria occupy the plant surface, preventing harmful pathogens from establishing.
• Biological Inhibition: It secretes natural metabolites that stop fungal growth and prevent spore germination upon contact.
• Immune Priming: It boosts the plant’s natural defense proteins by up to 27 times, fortifying the crop against environmental stress.

Application Protocol and Official Dosages:

For efficacy exceeding 90%, the following technical guidelines are recommended:

• Official Dosage: 160 cm³ per Feddan (Foliar spray for Grapes and Strawberries) and 155 gm per Feddan (Soil treatment for soil-borne fungi in tomatoes).
• Shelf-Life Advantage: Application 48 hours before harvest provides 10 additional days of post-harvest protection during transit.
• Technical Flexibility: Aplerme is compatible with copper and sulfur products (like Thiovit Jet®). Ensure the spray water pH is maintained between 5 and 9 to preserve bacterial viability.

Don't stop at reading!

To discover more about Aplerme, we invite you to watch the full episode of "Ser El San’aa" with Syngenta Egypt’s experts via the link :

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